In which they do not live, but go aboard."
Persons are born, live, and die, and even have their gardens on canal-boats. Farmhouses, with roofs like great slouched hats pulled over their eyes, stand on wooden legs, with a tucked up sort of air, as if to say, "We intend to keep dry if we can."
Even the horses wear a wide stool on each hoof to lift them out of the mire.
It is a glorious country in summer for bare-footed girls and boys. Such wadings! Such mimic ship sailing! Such rowing, fishing, and swimming! Only think of a chain of puddles where one can launch chip boats all day long, and never make a return trip!
But enough. A full recital would set all Young America rushing in a body toward the Zuyder Zee.
Directions for Reading.—In reading the first line of page 187, there will be a slight rising of the voice after each of the words, ditches', canals', ponds', rivers', and a slight falling of the voice after lakes'.[11]
This rising or falling of the voice is called inflection, and may be indicated as above.
Language Lesson.—What is the meaning of "Young America"?